Losing its longtime R&D chief Peter Mertens to Audi was a major blow for Volvo. But the Swedish carmaker isn’t about to sit around feeling sorry for itself. In less than two weeks after the announcement of Mertens’ departure, Volvo has already named a new senior vice president for research & development.
Rather than bring in new talent from outside, Volvo has opted to promote from within – or rather shift one of its senior executives laterally. Running the company’s considerable R&D department will now fall to Henrik Green.
Just 43 years old, Green has been with the company since 1996. He has served until now as SVP for sales, customer service, and – perhaps most pertinently – product planning, and is credited with leading the bold charge to consolidate Volvo’s powertrains to three- and four-cylinder engines.
With the new 90 series now out on the road, Volvo is shifting focus to the entry-level 40 series before moving on to replace the aging 60 series. As head of R&D – and boss to its 6,500 employees – Green will play a central role in the ambitious overhaul of the automaker’s entire lineup.
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